'Major piece' of Inner Harbor promenade to be upgraded

Candus Thomson, The Baltimore Sun

The city expects to start construction this fall on one of the final sections of the seven-mile Inner Harbor promenade.

The $6.6 million project will replace a temporary wooden walkway with brick to match the rest of the promenade. It will connect to the path at President and Lancaster streets and stretch about a quarter-mile, from East Falls Avenue to Katyn Memorial Circle.

The work, which to minimize disruptions will be done from barges, is expected to take a year to complete. The city put up $4.6 million and the state contributed $2 million.

"It's long overdue," said Jamie Kendrick, deputy director of the city's Department of Transportation. "It fills in the gap."

Laurie Schwartz, executive director of the Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore, called the promenade section near the Four Seasons hotel "a critical area."

"It's a major piece, an integral piece, because it curves out close to the water and provides a unique vantage point not found in other spots," she said. "It's a public space and one of the best places to jog and walk. It's not just for hotel guests; it's for all of us."

Kendrick said the city had to coordinate the walkway project with the completion of the Four Seasons hotel and the Legg Mason building and then wait for state and federal review.

"It took a while, but in a year it will be what we always intended it to be," he said.